Spicy Fall Stew Baked in a Pumpkin

2 TBS olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced (2-3 tsp)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
.5 tsp dried oregano
.5 lb tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered (1.5 cups)
1 15 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained
.75 tsp salt
1 3-4 lb pumpkin. Remove top and reserve. Remove seeds and stringy pulp.
2 oz grated (extra) sharp Cheddar cheese (.5 cup packed)

I bump up the quantity of spices and added 1 chile serrano, minced, plus a good sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

The magazine gives this nutritional data:
221 cal; 6 gr protein; 9 gr total fat (3 gr saturated fat); 31 gr carb'10 mg chol; 699 mg sodium; 6 gr fiber; 10 gr sugars. Gluten free.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and serrano, if using. Sauté 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in cayenne, cumin, and oregano, and cook 3 minutes more, or until spices darken.
2. Add tomatillos, hominy, .5 cup of water or vegetable stock, and salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, 10-12 minutes, or until tomatillos are softened. Uncover, and cook about 5 minutes more to thicken stew, if necessary.
3. Meanwhile, cut top of pumpkin around to make a lid. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and stringy pulp. Rub inside of pumpkin with remaining 1 TBSP olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese in bottom of pumpkin.
4. Fill pumpkin with stew, then top with pumpkin lid. Place on parchment paper in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until pumpkin flesh is fork-tender. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
5. Scoop stew, including pumpkin flesh, into bowls and serve hot.

Serving Size: serves 6, 1 1/2 cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TWILAQ1.